A few hours later, Mia called me.
I finished my call with Mia, her voice doing things she couldn’t although I wanted her too, she would make subtle hints that she wanted fun, she send snaps with captions, very provocative poses if I’m honest, I wasn’t complaining.
We both arranged to meet and return to Burrator, she knew she was going Sunday after her “family” gathering, she hated them.
“Maybe you can walk your dog at the same time, hint hint wink wink”
***
The week at work was slow and tedious, maybe as it was the height of summer and here I was stuck in an office when I wanted to be at a bar/pub.
A notification popped up on my phone, It was Grace.
“Need to see you, Saturday or Sunday, I don’t care, 11am, don’t be late! Xx”
“Sunday I’m possibly busy, so will be Saturday, is everything ok? Xx”
“Yeah will explain on Saturday, please make sure you come over, see you on Saturday xx”
And as quick as that the conversation ended, the panic and worry set in, she never sounded that blunt before.
***
I arrived at Jess’s house, she wasn’t in, I hadn’t really seen her in 2 weeks, she was always busy, or catching some overtime or covering someone else’s clients. I arrived 15 minutes early to try and prepare for what possibly could be said.
I opened the door, shouted out “hello” and set about making coffee, as was my routine.
“I’m in the lounge came the reply”
I tentatively made my way to the lounge, to see Grace sat there in jeans and a hoodie. She looked different, she’d been crying, that was evident to see.
“what’s made you cry” I asked.
“Ahhh it’s nothing, it’s not down to me to tell you” Shot back the reply.
Grace stood up and came towards me, this was the 1st and last time I actually took a step back from her, her attitude made me uneasy with the situation. She saw my step and stopped and began to cry. I immediately buckled and held her close and tight.
We just stood there for a few minutes just cuddling and saying absolutely nothing, sometimes no words need to be said or a moment never needs to be ruined.
I broke the silence, when she sat back down.
“So, what was so important? You sounded a little panic stricken in your message?”
“Mums got a new job, but it’s her dream job”
“She hasn’t said anything, I’ll text her congrats”
With that Grace stole my phone from my hand and locked it again,
“Grace what the fuck?! You don’t touch my phone, you know that”
“she’s sworn me to secrecy, she wants to tell you tomorrow, you can’t say anything to her, I wanted you to come see me so that we can be together”
I became angry and very hostile, I’d been keeping secrets yet I didn’t like it done to me, poetic justice or karma, you can decide.
“Well dry your eyes because crying isn’t helping anyone, and we’ll go out together, where would you like to go?”
She returned from her room dressed in a knee length blue figure-hugging dress, looked at me, and asked:
“Can we take a photo, just me and you?”
“Sure, thing babygirl”
She started crying again, I’ve never and will never like seeing women/girls cry, I embraced her in a bear like hug. We snapped a few photos of various poses. The lion roar would be my favourite.
“I’d like to go to your house”.
We went to my house, via the shops to get snacks and junk food.
***
I checked my phone and replied to Mia, or Mike (work) as it said on the screen.
“Dad”
“Yeah?” the realization sank in that she called me dad, not papa, or daddy, just plain old dad.
I looked up from my phone, she was gone, I shouted out and the reply came back from upstairs.
I walked into my bedroom to find her laid on the bed, looking through her camera roll of photos we’d taken over the years.
“Daddy” her tone increased in emotion.
“Yeah?”
“I love you”
It was my turn to cry at this point, she had said she loved me previously but normally after sex or “fun time with papa” but this time I could see and hear that she meant it. I never doubted that she meant it but this time the tone of voice she used made the emotion hit harder.
“I love you too”
We watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, it was the first film that we watched as a couple and subsequently the last.
I drove Grace back to her house and I made my excuses to leave, something didn’t feel comfortable, Jess asked to see me privately in the kitchen before I left.
****
Unfortunately dear readers, this is where saving grace ends..
Jess informed me on that fateful day that she had accepted her dream job but would require her to move to Scotland, the offer was there for me to go with but I declined point blank due to me not wanting to leave my job.
It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision as I found out, that was made 2 months prior when she gave notice on her job, and as she owned her own house, she found tenants to take that over.
I could hear sobbing from the lounge, I knew who it was, I asked to see her one more time before they both left.
I walked in the lounge, and stood there, Grace ran over to me and hugged me tightly, we sat in our spots on the sofa, for what felt like an eternity but was a matter of mere minutes.
“Have you told all your friends? School? Boyfriend? Ballet mates?”
“I’m doing that tomorrow, they’re all coming over here, school and ballet mates know already”
We were alone, jess had gone upstairs for her own reasons, we could be open, we shared a few kisses and said our goodbyes.
I told them both that I loved them and calmly walked out back to my car.
Emotion had fully set in; this was my whole life due to be ripped up in a matter of days. But I couldn’t stand in the way of someone’s dream job, I didn’t want that regret or “you’ve ruined my life by making me stay here”
I got home, grabbed a beer, and phoned my dad,
I received a text from Mia.
“Hey, hope you’re ok? How was your day? I’ve just been asked to Grace’s tomorrow, I don’t really want to go, but it seemed important xx”
I replied when I ended my phone call.
“Yeah, it’s important you go, even if you don’t want to, maybe she’s got you something, or she just wants to spend time with you, only she knows xx”
***
I received a phone call from Mia, after that visit asking how I was etc., I brushed it off as I was fine with it, and “it is what it is”
***
these confessions are real, emotions have also been real, (as a wise man once told me, and no it wasn’t my dad)
“Toughest thing about a relationship with a young girl, is when they move on, and most do”
Now I’m not saying that don’t ever fall in love or anything like that but if you’re entertaining anything in these 14 parts then just be mindful of however quickly it started, it can end all that much quicker.
I’ve loved reading every comment, well the real ones anyway, look out for more stories in the future. But Saving Grace cant be saved.
Maybe I’ll write about my adventures with Mia, I just don’t know, I’ll ask her privately and whether that would appeal.
Thankyou for reading my confessions, its been absolute blast writing them and letting you all read them.
Kingsmut36 (soon to be 37 😊)
